Calling V.1 50mm Summilux fans

[Geo Toreno]

I have Lux v2 yellow coated (SNr.2071992) and v1 blue-magenta coated (SNr.1702022), and I love both.🙂

.
Leica M2. Summilux 50mm F/1.4 v1

 

[Erik van Straten]

Wow, that v1 was used a lot.


Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP/Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1/400-2TMY/AdoxMCC110

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP, Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1, 400-2TMY.

The double contours of dark objects against strong light indicate spherical aberration.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP, Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1, 400-2TMY, AdoxMCC110

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Finally I've got a black paint Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1. It is a tweaked lens, the lens elements are finely adjusted to one another wich creates an incredibly sharp lens even at full aperture.

However, the pics of Maggie Osterberg are very sharp too!

I don't think the Summicron 50mm f/2 rigid black paint has tweaked lenses, my bp example performed just like my chrome version.

Leica MP, Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 black.

Erik.

 

[peterm1]

I have a question. In fact two. OK three......

Who here uses or would use the version 1 Summilux as their "everyday" 50mm lens? I have read where some have opined (I do not recall if it was here or elsewhere) that it is not a lens that many these days would use as an everyday lens - but if they owned one might happily keep it for special purposes. I own a Summicron 50mm f2 (Version 4) which is an excellent lens but anyone who has seen my photos will understand that I like character and mood in my photos so an early Summilux might fit the bill nicely. While I like a lens to be sharp enough I am far from being a pixel peeper and do not obsess about sharpness. Similarly I do not mind other characteristics of classic lens designs such as lower contrast and vignetting and lower sharpness at the edges. I accept that the Summicron would technically be better all round lens but is the Summilux good enough in the view of those who own one.

I would undoubtedly sell my Summicron if I were to buy a Summilux as I am past the stage where I feel the need to accumulate more and more lenses and it should pretty much fund the purchase.

As an ancillary question, I also own a Summarit 50mm f1.5 which I do treat as a "special purpose" lens though its not bad when stopped down. Both the v1 Summilux and the Summarit are based on the Xenon design though the former is said to be a somewhat improved iteration of that design. For those who have tried both how much better do you feel it to be? In other words, should I just stick with the Summarit? (I could of course consider selling the Summarit as with the Summicron though this is not a high priority as it would not earn enough to pay for purchase of a SUmmilux - even a version 1 which goes for less than later versions. Therefore even if I bought a Summilux I would, at least for now, keep the Summarit and keep my options open about if and when to sell it.)

Oh and perhaps one final question. Any good reviews out there on the version1? I have spent a little time looking online but apart from a few abbreviated comments in threads etc found zip about performance.

PS its a damn nice lens to look at.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Peter, I would not hesitate to use the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 as my everyday lens. It is in my opinion one of the best 50mm lenses available.

It was only made for a short time. The reason for this was that the original design of the lens was owned by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson and not by Leitz. Leitz therefore had to pay TTH for every copy of the lens they sold, so after some time Leitz designed their own 50mm f/1.4, the v2, starting with no. 1844001.

I own a v2 and used it for many years. However, this lens is compared to the v1 not very good and it is certainly not an everyday lens. At full aperture it is not very sharp and there is a huge barrel-vault distortion.

The v1 - certainly the professional black version - is a truly beautiful lens: zero distortion, very sharp at full aperture and a wonderful bokeh. My chrome version is at full aperture slightly less sharp but is also free from distortion. I presume that the professional black lens is tweaked. On top of that it has a brass aperture - brass does not rust.

Leica MP, Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 black, 400-2TMY (full aperture).

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP, Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1, 400-2TMY, AdoxMCC110

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 split grade printed on silver gelatine paper.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica M5/Summilux 50mm v1/split grade printed on silver gelatine paper

Erik.

 

[peterm1]

Erik thank you for these images. They all look very nice to my eye. On this basis I would certainly not hesitate to get a V1 Summilux if one came up at a price I liked.

 

[Rob-F]

My black copy is bitingly sharp at full aperture; the chrome lens less so.
Coating and f/stop leaves are different on the black lens. I think it is somehow tweaked for professional use.
I don't know if there was originally a price difference between the black and the chrome lenses.

I always thought that Martine Franck was holding a Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 here, but from the shade - a 12585 - I understand that it is a black 50mm Summilux. I can't see if it is a v1 or a v2.

Erik.

Hi Eric, just FYI, the 12585 hood won't fit on a Summilux. The one for the Summilux looks entirely the same as the 12585, but it has to be bigger because the Lux has a 43mm front filter diameter. The 12585 fits the Summicron with its 39mm filter size.

 

[WJJ3]

Great examples of your work here Erik. Was curious how you are getting the full frame + border to show through your negative carrier. Did you modify your carrier to show more of the film area?

 

[Erik van Straten]

Hi Eric, just FYI, the 12585 hood won't fit on a Summilux. The one for the Summilux looks entirely the same as the 12585, but it has to be bigger because the Lux has a 43mm front filter diameter. The 12585 fits the Summicron with its 39mm filter size.

I know that, I have the 12586 made for the Summilux v1 and v2. However, I do not use that shade, it is too big. I use a Nikon rangefinder shade, black paint, 43mm. Very rare shade, btw. My writing however was wrong, it must not be "12585", but "12586".


Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Great examples of your work here Erik. Was curious how you are getting the full frame + border to show through your negative carrier. Did you modify your carrier to show more of the film area?

No, I have a Focomat IIc, the negatives fit in the carrier with a small border around them. I cover that border with the special wooden 40x50cm Focomat IIc easel, the one that can be fixed to the baseplate of the enlarger. What is left, is the small, "natural" border of the negative, you see that as a black line around the picture.

The Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 is a great lens at full aperture, but stopped down it is miraculous. It blows away any other 50mm I've ever used. Great sharpness and no distortion whatsoever.

Erik.

 

[WJJ3]

No, I have a Focomat IIc, the negatives fit in the carrier with a small border around them. I cover that border with the special wooden 40x50cm Focomat IIc easel, the one that can be fixed to the baseplate of the enlarger. What is left, is the small, "natural" border of the negative, you see that as a black line around the picture.


Erik.

I see, I just looked it up. Looks fantastic, maybe the best enlarger ever made? Looks like carrier goes up to 6x9 format with masks for each format. And that's great the masks don't clip the edges of the frame. That always irritated me about the enlargers I used in college. Maybe I can find one of these excellent Leitz enlargers when I have the space to build a darkroom.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The Focomat IIc is seen by many as the best enlarger in the world, I would say it is the best movable enlarger in the world, up to 6X9cm.


Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP/Summilux50mmf/1.4v1/400-2TMY/AdoxMCC110

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP/Summilux 50mm v1/TMY400-2/AdoxMCC110

Erik.